FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Efforts to overturn new limits on the size of homes in historic neighborhoods near downtown Fort Collins have come up short.

A petition drive calling for the repeal of an ordinance setting tighter standards for the square footage, height and design of houses in some neighborhoods ended up 43 signatures short of the minimum needed to force action by the City Council.

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan ( http://tinyurl.com/d27elk2), petitioners needed more than 2,800 signatures of registered voters supporting the repeal.

The ordinance was approved by the City Council in March and is scheduled to go into effect in May.